Assign or allocate

Question

Hi,"When you enrol in the Erasmus programme, you can pick three different universities and if your application gets accepted, you'll be allocated  or assigned to one of them.""We were assigned a project that is due in two weeks.""You'll be allocated to a new group for the next project." I think that 'assign' would work too."The teacher hasn't allocated enough time for the group project."Could you help me with these? It seems to me that in some situations, these two words actually overlap.Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Ann225"When you enrol in the Erasmus programme, you can pick three different universities and if your application gets accepted, you'll be allocated or assigned to one of them."

assigned only.

Ann225"We were assigned a project that is due in two weeks."

Fine.

Ann225"You'll be allocated to a new group for the next project." I think that 'assign' would work too.

assigned only.

Ann225"The teacher hasn't allocated enough time for the group project."

Fine.

Resources like time, money, and space are allocated.
People are assigned to do things. Projects are assigned.

Or, in the active voice:

We allocate resources like time, money, and space.
We assign people to do things. We assign projects, job, or tasks to people.

(See a dictionary for more uses.)

CJ

MountainHiker · Answer

Answer withdrawn.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Allocate is used with non-count things when they are divided across categories. e.g. Allocate money to various budget categories. .
Assign is used with countable things when they are place in categories. e.g. Assign a set of tags to a post.

Assign or allocate

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